18TH CENTURY LIVING HISTORY, HISTORICAL TREKKING, AND LONG TERM SURVIVAL.

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18TH CENTURY LIVING HISTORY IN AUSTRALIA.

Tuesday, 28 December 2010

The Use Of The Term Tomahawk-Bad Publicity!

Hunt for blood-soaked city tomahawk wielder. Megan Levy December 29, 2010 - 9:23AM.Heavily-protected police have entered an upmarket Melbourne hotel hunting a blood-soaked man who attacked a car with a tomahawk in inner Melbourne this morning.

What are the chances that this chap was actually using a tomahawk?! Very little chance I would think, yet the term is used to highten the drama. It is this sort of (probable) misinformation that led to the banning of tomahawks in Victoria some years ago, and I believe one had to apply for a permit to attend a Living History Rendezvous with a tomahawk for the purpose of competition tomahawk throwing.

A modern axe or hatchet. Far easier to obtain than a tomahawk.

A typical tomahawk or 18th century belt axe. Not available from hardware stores, and the most common tool used by 18th century Living Historians & Reenactors worldwide.

10 comments:

Typical of the non-sense spouted by so called "journalists" to make things sounds much worse than they really are... That's the sort of thing that really p**s me off...And people who have absolutely no idea what a tomahawk is will nod wisely and say: oh yes it must be banned...:-(

When will they get the idea that's it's NOT the tool itself that's to blame but the hand that holds and missuse it?

I don't think that many people actually know what a tomahawk is, and let's face it, the term tomahawk and axe has become prety much interchangable. But it is true that most people that do know what a tomahawk is and yet do not carry one themselves, see the tomahawk as a weapon, not a tool like a hatchet or axe.The truth is that the (trade)axe in the 18th century was in fact the tomahawk, and then the word was interchangable. The trouble is when we mention things like Tomahawk throwing after a news headline like this, the red lights start flashing everywhere.I phoned up the Victorian police some years ago to enquire about getting a permit so I couls attend the Rendezvous in Taminic & enter the competition. The female police officer said that I could get a permit but I was "not allowed to throw my tomahawk at people"!!!Now doesn't that just take all the fun out of it!!!

Reply to Hutch: "Le Loup, can you tell me why the difference in the handles and heads in functionality?"

Hi Hutch. The tomahawk/(trade)axe head shape is more to do with the period design at that time than anything else, though these heads do tend to be lighter in some cases.Ditto for the helve. If you look at a lot of 16th, 17th & 18th century axes you will see that this tapered helve fitting was popular.From a functional point of view the tapered helve is easy to make and fit, even in a wilderness situation. The helve rarely comes loose in the head, but if it does, it is a simple matter to either tap the helve on a tree to secure, or failing that pack the head out with rawhide or leather.The heads on the small tomahawk weigh about 1lb, but with a longer helve it has a lot of cutting power. They are very good for throwing, and once you are skilled at this the tomahawk becomes a good back-up for hunting. I also find them much easier to control for fighting than a heavier headed hatchet.

Thank you. I had always wondered the difference, even in using them on a day to day basis. Well, most days. Luckily, I live in Texas, and there's not much law around here to tell me where I can and can't carry something. I'm going to start practicing the throwing of it. Historically, did they use it (throwing) much like that of a rabbit stick? Or, did they use it when they were closer to larger game?

I have seen no record of the tomahawk being used for hunting in the 18th century, but one Indian did leave a record of hunting with a tomahawk during the great depression. The Rangers were also known to have tomahawk throwing practice for fighting during the F&I War.Other than that it is ordinary usage, making trap stakes, building shelters, help in butchering large game, etc.

I've heard it said by a Vietnam veteran that throwing ANYTHING was a last ditch effort, because once the object leaves your hand, it can easily fall under the power of the very person you were trying to hit. THEN the weapon could be turned on YOU.

Quite true Gorges, but there are times when being able to throw accurately is an advantage. If for instance you had fired & then found yourself about to be fired at. Within distance a well aimed throw would at least distract the shooter, delaying his shot giving you time to dive for cover or even cover that ground between you to attack. There is infact a record of an Indian having to do just that. The settler was forced to raise his gun to ward off the thrown tomahawk & he lost a finger or two.With more than one assailant you may have no choice but to throw your tomahawk. But yes, if it can be avoided it is best to hang on to your tomahawk/axe.

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Settlers.

"I noticed particularly, one family of about 12 in number. The mancarried an axe and a gun on his shoulders. The Wife, the rim of a spinningwheel in one hand, and a loaf of bread in the other. Several little boys andgirls, each with a bundle, according to their size Two poor horses, eachheavily loaded with some poor necessities. On the top of the baggage of one,was an infant rocked to sleep in a kind of wicker cage, lashed securely to thehorse. A cow formed one of the company ,and she was destined to bear herproportion of service - a bed cord was wound around her horns and a bag of mealon her back. They were not only patient, but cheerful and pleased withthemselves with the expectation of seeing happy days beyond the mountains"Diary of Presbyterian Rev. David McClure.18th century.

What is Living History?

What is Living History?Living history makes history come to life. To do this members emulate different sorts of people from history. These can include blacksmiths, seamstresses, housewives, farmers, woodsmen and woodswomen. We wear the clothes of the time and learn and use the life and trade skills of the period.What period of history does the NECLHG re-enact ?Approximately 1680-1760 on the New World Frontier.Why this period of history and why a New World lifestyle and not Australian?The New World was settled much earlier than Australia and enables us to choose from a larger variety of nationalities, occupations and skills. All of these options make the activities more fun.Australian settlement was in a later period and founded on a penal colony. There are other re-enactment groups for people interested in the Australian colonial period.Is joining NECLHG expensive?No. There are no membership fees for the group. The activity is only as expensive as you want it to be! Many members make all their own period style clothing and equipment. This is an ideal activity for people who like to make things and be creative.What if there are some items I can not make myself or I am too busy to make?You always have the option of buying or trading for items. People who want to purchase their clothing and equipment can do so; there are many specialist suppliers. Also you can trade for items you can not make .Can my family join this group?Yes we are very family oriented.What is experimental archaeology?This is the term used when someone makes and uses a period tool or item. This can be anything from lighting a fire with a flint and steel to building and sailing a ship on an original route! It is the only way to really discover how things were done “back then”.What is historical trekking?This activity is trekking and camping in an historically accurate manner. People on a historical trek wear the clothing of the period and carry and use only the equipment used in that period. These treks are a great way to learn woods lore and survival skills.What sort of “period skills” can we learn and practice?You can learn and use any skill that was used in the period you reenact. For the mid-18th century these include spinning and weaving on a loom, finger weaving, tomahawk throwing, fire lighting, blade sharpening, leather making and leather working and much, much more.Is the NECLHG a gun club?No. Some on our members may carry a period gun on treks and camps as part of their persona. These guns are flintlock muzzle-loading antique guns or copies. The highest level of safely is maintained at all times. Guns are not carried loaded and all gun carrying members are licensed.What about women members?In the 18th century women performed many traditional and non traditional roles. There were women blacksmiths, naturalists, artists, and woods-women. Some accompanied militia on scouts . In the NECLHG a women can be what ever she wants to be!What about children.?Children are always welcome. Naturally children are the responsibility of their parents. Children really enjoy the living history activities and skills. It is a wonderful way to learn history and it makes their school based history a lot more meaningful. Also children can learn bush craft, survival skills and camping skills.